Aeroplane engine



Jan. 26, 1932. v. D. SPEER 1843003 AEROPLANE ENGINE Filed Nov. 25, 1929 Patented Jan. 26, 1932 UNIT STATES VERN1\T D. SPEER, 0]? ED.R FLLS, IOWA AEROPLANE NGINE Applcation filed. November 25,1929. Serial No. 409,604.

My invention pertains to intrnal comb1istien engins, and the object of my improvement is to supply particularly fox aeroplane motors of this type, mea ns for aCtuating both the in1etand the exhaustvalves of an engine in coordinated altefnationwith each other und in & suitable cooperation with other like devices o a block of plura1 Cylinders using a single Crankshaft drven thereby. This object I have achieved by the. mechanisni Which is hereinafter descibeol1and claimed, and which is i11ustmted in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a centra1 longitudinal section taken through a plura1 engine b1ock anc1 particularly through one of the fixed radia1 cylinders thereof, parts being broken "away. is an elevation of one ofthe cy1inders and of the operatingconnections for the exhaustva1ve as driven by a cam device, some of the elements intermediatefor operating time inlet-valVe being O lllttd and so1ne elements being shown in secton or breken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the out-er ace of the inner yoke of the exhaust-valve operatngmeans, With parts in cross section.

My invention is not reistricted t0the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, nor to the various detailsthereof, as the same may be modified or rearranged without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention; one prac tical embocliment of whichhas beenherein illustrated an d described without attempt ing to show all of the various forrns and modifications in which be embodied.

My invention als0 may be employed with any necessary modifications to efi'ect the above objects on any kind of interna1 com bustion motor whe1e the invention may be serviceable.

As illustrated, the invention is applied to a plura1 cylinder motor of s aid c1ass where the cylinders 9 are arrangeci in equidistantly spaced relation radial1y eround a crankshaft 6 which may 21s shown be the propeller shaft for an ereroplan'e motor.

-The propeller shaft 6 has a crank 7 and is positioned centraliy in the engine b1ock 1 m y invention might Fig. 2

which has"a desired number of openingsor cylindrical parts placed in registration thereeround with the cylinders 9 of Which but one is shown. The piston 10 of the cylinder 9"has episton-rod 8 with a roller-bearing connection to the crank-shaft crank 7. In t1 ie cylinder-head a1e positioned the ports 11 and 37 for the exhaust-valve 13 and the inlet- V a1ve"36 respectively, the va1ves respectively ope'ning inwardly and outwardly, the in1et port in controlled communication with a chamber 412 leading into the combustionchamber of said cylinder and with a conduit 40 1eading from an annu1ar supplychamber 41 receiving gaseous uel from a carbureter. The-exhaist-vh e 13 controle the passage by way ofthe port 11 leading into an exhaust passage 48, andthe outwardly directed stem 1A of the exhaust-valve isreciprocatingly seated ina bearing projection 12 being part of the cy1inder-head,the stem emerging outwardly therefrom and perminally abutting uponthe inner end of an adjusting-bolt 19 in a cpshaped cap 18 having a.n adjustingnut 17 The stem 14 Within said cap is en circled by a flztnp;ed washer 16 and by a coiled compression spring 15 engagcd between the The inlet-vah e 36 within the chamber 42 has a depending stern 35 mounted forreciprocation in an apertured bearing part 38 of the engine b1ock which projectsi within the block and issurrounded by a compressionspring 39 whose inner end bears against the Outer face of a washer 34 having oppositely projecting annular flanges. "lhe numeral 27 denotes e cam mount-ed on ballbearings a"round acylindrical part of the engin e-b1ock and being fixed to an internal-gear whee1 46 secnred on the crank-shaf't 6 to rotate there- With. A plunger-body 22 is mounted to eciproc ate in a hearing in the engine h1ock and has a fo1ked inner extension 24 in which a roller 26 is pivoted at 25 to contact with the,circumferential periphery of the cam 27.

A rockarm 23 has a dminished end insert-ed in said fork 24: above the roller 26 and has its oizher end forkdto ICB\G on a pint1c thereacross a roller Wh1ch at .1mes engages the edge of said cam 27 and tbe rock-arm is medially pivoted at 23.

A yoke 28 (see Figs. 2 and 3) has spaced side members which converge toward their ends and there terminate in sockets 30 in which are rigidly seated the outwardly divergent arms 20. The inner walls of the said side members are flat and parallel at the middle and the opposite sides of the plungerbody 22 are flattened to fit slidingly between tl1em as sl1own in said Fig. 3.

The onter ends of the members 20 are adjustably 1nounted in sockets 44 on the ende of an outer y0lre 45 of reversedV-shape whose n1iddle part is rigidly connected to said cupshaped body 18, the members 20 heing in clined relative to the cylinder 9 whose upper pari; traverses t-heir widened interspace. Tlie yoke 28 has curvalze ledges 29 on the outer fases of its side memhers and a light compression spring 33 is engaged between said ledges and the under or inner ace of the rin1nied washer 34. An adjusting-screw 32 is mounted in the top of the plunger-body 22 and hears upon the inner face of the washer 34. T lie spring 33 is lighter than the spring 39. Inner ledges 28 on the yoke 28 are below lugs 22 on the plunger-body 22 in the paths of their downward movement.

As hereinbefore stated, the ahove descrihed invention ofmechanism between the mm 27 and the exhaust-valve 13 and the inlet-valve 36 respeetively may be employed on any description of nternal comhustion engine for which they are suited, but this 1nechanism is partcularly applicable to an aeroplane motor of che type shown, where the propeller shaft 6 mounted in roller-bearings or otherwise has a sleeve 4 secured ter- 1ninally thereon hearing propeller blades shown breken away near the sleeve at 5.

My invention unctions as follows: The 021111 27 propels outwardly the plunger-hody 22 which moves through the yoke 28 nntil tl1e adjusting-screw 32 contacts With and propels outwardly the stem 35 1:0 open the inlet-valve 37, compressing the spring 39. The exhaustwalve 13 being closed, as the can1 rotates, the light spring 33 is allowed to extend to take up for any lost motion or looseness of the parts.

The can1 projecton 27 functions by contacting with the end roller on a rock-arm 23 medially piroted at 23, and haxng its other and di1ninisbed termina'cion inserted in the interspace of the furcations 24 of the plunger 22 to rock said arm and cause its said termination to engage inner shoulders on the furcations shown in Fig. 1 to pull down said plunger whicl1 closes the inlet-valve 36 and also sl1ifts downwardly die stem 20 to open the exhaus-valve 13 while placing the spring 15 under compression. It is to he understood that the washer 34 is rigidly mounted on the valve-stem 35. andthat the screw 32 is below and not connected t0 said stem and washer, so that there is a gap left hetween the screw 32 and the lower end of the valve-stem 35 when the body 22 moves down in following tl1e peripheral edge of the can1 27, while keeping the roller 26 in conact Wifli the ca1n edge for tbe reqnisite length of time before the acions of tl1o valves are reversod. Tl1e adjusting-screw 32 may he used to adjust ahly vary the lead, as is evident.

Having desoribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure hy Letters Patent, is:

1. In an incernel co1nbustion engine, a oylinder having a head provided with an inlet-port and an exhaustport and hearing apertures alined therewith, resiliently conrolled valves or said porfs, said valves har ing stems mounted in said apertures and direeted in opposite directions, a crank-shaft, a piston in said cylinder operatively connected o said crank-shait, a can1 operaively mounted on said sl1aft, a plunger-body n.onnled 1or reciprocation in alinementwitlr the inlet-valve stem and hearing terminal ly upon the circnmferential periphery of said ca1n, z1nd elemenls including a relatively light resilient device loosely connected hetween the other end of said plnnger-body and said inle-valve and elianst-Valre respectively and operative during a to and fro movement of the plunger-hody to alt-ernately open and then close said val"es at determined intervals.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder h2wing a l1ead provided with an inletport and an exhaust-port and hearing apertnres alined therewith, resiliently controlled valves for said ports, saiol valves having stems mounted in said apertures and directed in opposite directions, a crank-shaft, a piston in said cylinder operatively conneeted "co said cranksbaft, a can1 operatively mounted on said shaft a plunger-body mounted for reciprocation in alinement with said inlet-valve stem and hearing tcrminally npon the circumferential periphery of said cam, and ele1nents, including one mounted fo1 longitudinal adj ust1nents relative 'co the plungerbody and another having a light degree of resilience, loosely connected between the plungenbody and the inletvalve and the RXhIUSVH1VO respectively and operative diiiing o and fr0 PJOG1S of tbe plungerbody to alternately open and close said valves with an adjnstably determined relative leed.

3. In an inernal combnstion engine having boll1 inlei and exlianst-ports resiliently controlled valvcs r'or said ports movabie in opposite directions to close the porcs a recprocahle body, means for reciprocating said body, said body heing monnted adjaeent the inlebvalve, an adjusahle element mounted on said body between it and said valve in a gap t-lierebetween wherehy in one mo"ement el said body sad element traverses said gap te impnge upon and thrust open sad nletvalve, en elastc element lighter than the reslent controllng means fox said valves contactng with the inlet-valve and positoned between the letter and the alouttng part of said body, en apertured yoke through whch sad body is sldably mounted wth said elastc element contactng wth sad yoke, and operatve connectons between the ende of sad yoke and the enter part of the exhaustvalve, whereby the sad body durng to and f1.0 1novements actuate sad valves wth a desred adjustable leed in alternaten.

4. In 2111 nternal combuston engine having both nletand exhaustports, reslently controlled valves for sad ports openable in epposte directions, and connected devices mennted f01 te end 1o 1neVements ncludng relatvely lgl1t reslentmeans and ad justng means, saddevces beng operatve upon sad "alves in alternaton to open and close the1n wth en adjustably determined relatve leed.

5. In en internal combustien engne havng a cylnder wth nletand exhanst-perts in one end, valvee reslently controlled to open and close sad ports, a yoke lmvng a 1nedal reslent eonnecton to the exheustvalve and crossing the cylnder-head, a te cprocable yoke crossing one sde of the, eylnder, 2 relatively lght elastc body engaged between the medal part of said letter yoke and the nlet-valve, an element momble te and from sad valve t0 propel t to open positen Wl1le movng in one direction and t0 separate by a gap therebetween whle returnng in the opposte direction, and sde rods rgdly and adjustably connected between the ends of sad yokes without sad cylinder for actuatng the exhaustvalve.

6. In en nternal combuston engne, a cylnder havng e head prevded wth an nletport and an exhaust-port and hearing apertures alned therewth, reslently controlled valves for sad ports having stems mounted in sad apertures and opposoely drected, a crank-shaft, a piston in sad cylnder operatvely connected to said crank-shaft, a cam operatively mounted en sad shaft havng separated project-ing edge parts a plungerbody monnted 0r reciprocaton in alnement open and close said valves at determined intervzils.

7. In en nternal combustion engine, a cylnder havng a. head provded wth en inlet-port and an exhanst-port and bearng apertures alned therewth, reslently controlled valves 0r sad ports l1avng stems mounted in sad apertures and oppostely drect-ed, a crank-shaft, a pston in sad cylinder operatvely connected to sad crankshaft, a cam operatively 1nounted on said shaft and havng separated projecting edge parts, a plunger-body mounted for recprocaton in alnement with the inlet-valve stem te bear termnally upon the perpheral edge of -the aam, a rock-arm mounted 01 rocking movements to have one end engage sad plungerbedy a nd ts ether and free end postoned te be engaged and rocked by one of the cann edge projections to shift the plunger-body co close sad nlet-valve, and connected elements loosely connected between sad inletand exhaust-valves, ther stems and said plunger body angularly, ncluding en adjustng screw operable t0 vary the leed of the valves, and resilent means t0 cooperate therewth, whereby the Separated cam projections act up0n the inletand exhaust-valves in successon in open ing and closing them wth an adjusted variaton of leed.

In testmony whereof I afl1x my signature.

VERNON D. SPEER.

wth the nlet-valve stem te beer termnally upon the perpheral edge of the aam, a rocka11n 1nedially pvoted with one end movably engaged wth said plunger-loody and the other end free to be engaged by one of the ca1n projectons nnd rocked te move tl1e plnnger-body in one drection to eause the plunger-body t0 close said inlet-valve, and connected elements includng a. resilient devce loosely conneeted between the other end of the plunger-body and said nletand exhanst-valves respectively, whereby the projectons of said ca1n operate to alternately 

